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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 116 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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468
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — a container
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rash — a series
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — there
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. march — the month
  24. present — the time now

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