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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — a price
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — in football
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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