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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 124 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. land — ground
  7. roll — a list
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — in control
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — steady
  19. charge — a price
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. land — a country
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wound — an injury

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