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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · cold · hand · squash · last · can · ball · wave

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. last — finally
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — help

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