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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a path
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — a friend

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