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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · pass · net · stick · lie · season · present · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — a gift
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — there
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — a permit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — the time now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — after costs

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