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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — ground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — to visit
  15. track — a path
  16. pop — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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