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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — to handle
  21. present — a gift
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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