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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. key — for a lock
  13. foot — a measure
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — child
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — certain

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