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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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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. wind — moving air
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cue — for pool

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