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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fan — a supporter

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