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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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468
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. object — an aim
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — to protest
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — a thing
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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