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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — a gift
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cold — the Cold War

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