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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. branch — a division
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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