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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — humankind
  12. spring — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — a thing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. race — a contest

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