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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — a company
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chair — a leader
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — steady
  24. patient — a sick person

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