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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — to breed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — a price
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — to bear

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