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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — decided
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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