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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mate — a partner

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