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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — a line
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rule — a law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rule — to rule out

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