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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. band — a music group
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a ring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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