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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — low music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — of ice
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — dry grass

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