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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 124 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — to protest
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — a container
  19. track — a song
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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