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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into 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. ball — a dance
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a round shape

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