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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — an aim
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — to protest
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mate — to breed
  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