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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — a thing
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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