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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wind — moving air
  3. date — the fruit
  4. roll — a list
  5. object — to protest
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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