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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — a group
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — magic
  18. rash — a series
  19. club — for golf
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. key — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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