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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — in music
  4. object — an aim
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mate — a friend
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — to recline
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. present — there
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. file — a document

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