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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — a position
  5. firm — decided
  6. bound — certain
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. land — a country
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — a company
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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