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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — to paddle
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — soda
  13. squash — the sport
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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