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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — to push
  24. bear — the animal

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