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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — a young animal

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