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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a song
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — exactly

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