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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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