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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — in music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — in cards
  24. key — for a lock

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