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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. present — the time now
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to click

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