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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — to breed
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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