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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — certain
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — of a plant

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