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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — help
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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