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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — to breed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — a law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — government
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — hurry
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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