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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kid — child
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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