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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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