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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. suit — to fit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. suit — clothes
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lie — an untruth

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