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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 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mug — a face
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mate — to breed
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mug — to rob
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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