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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — a box
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a friend
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — for digging

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