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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to click
  15. mate — a friend
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pass — a permit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mate — to breed

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