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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mate — to breed

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