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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a music group
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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