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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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