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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a grade
  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