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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kid — child
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — in sport
  23. net — in sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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