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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. toast — bread
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stand — to bear

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