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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — a law
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. drill — army training
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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