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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — clever
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching

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