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

Word bank: mate · tear · stick · object · deal · mine · racket · leaves

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — an aim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. object — a thing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — to protest
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tear — from crying

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