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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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