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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — a partner
  5. charge — a price
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — the earth
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — a position
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — an eyelash

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