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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. rush — hurry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — the season
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — to get on
  12. club — for golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — a committee
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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