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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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 partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — hurry
  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