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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stock — shares
  19. cold — an illness
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. foot — the bottom

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