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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — a gift
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. game — wild animals
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. game — a match
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. present — there
  24. chair — to sit on

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