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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to click
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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