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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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 — to recline
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. can — a tin

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