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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. present — there
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a document
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. file — a tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — a gift
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — clothes

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