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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. face — part of the head
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. season — of the year
  9. tear — to rip
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — government
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — in sport
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rule — a law
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — in a road

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