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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. toast — bread
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — rain
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com