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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. content — the amount
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rash — a series
  8. content — happy
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — a container
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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