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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to click
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — army training
  18. vault — a safe
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a friend

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