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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spring — the season
  11. sharp — clever
  12. drill — army training
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — to lash out

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