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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — electric
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — help
  16. current — happening now
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a dance
  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