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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. fine — high quality
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — a partner
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cold — an illness
  24. nail — for a hammer

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