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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — to recline

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