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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lean — thin
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rule — a law
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rock — music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rule — government
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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