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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 116 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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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a friend
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — a thing

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