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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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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. file — a document
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — in music
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mate — a friend

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