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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hand — help
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — ground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — a country
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — to trim

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