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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — in music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — the season
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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