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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mate — a partner
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — a contest
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spell — magic
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — in sport

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