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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — humankind
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — to push
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bound — obliged

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