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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a friend
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cold — an illness
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. can — to be able 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