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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — a friend
  4. key — in music
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — for a lock
  9. plane — a tool
  10. row — a line
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — to confront
  13. field — farmland
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. mug — a face
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a cup

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