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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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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: spring · safe · stick · stand · hand · deal · toast · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — in cards
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stand — to bear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — bread
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pop — soda
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spring — the season

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