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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cell — a phone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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