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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — a hat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — an aim
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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