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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. last — to go on
  3. drill — army training
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — a practice
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. drill — the tool
  15. last — finally
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pop — music
  21. last — final
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — to visit

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