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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — a position
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to click
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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