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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — to breed
  14. file — a tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. file — a document
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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