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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. land — to come down
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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