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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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. suit — clothes
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chest — a box
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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