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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — in golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. swing — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — certain
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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