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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a ring
  7. suit — to fit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — a hat

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