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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. swing — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — thin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bore — to tire
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — help
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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