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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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. bound — tied together
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mate — to breed
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — the season
  9. present — there
  10. degree — temperature
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spring — of water
  14. present — the time now
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — final
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spring — a coil
  22. last — finally
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — a partner

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