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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mate — a partner
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mate — a friend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. mug — a cup
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — farmland
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — for sport
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mate — to breed
  23. field — a subject
  24. toast — bread

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