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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. snap — to click
  4. cell — in biology
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — in golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — in football

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