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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — hurry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a partner
  24. craft — boats

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