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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to click
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wax — for sculpting

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