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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — a friend
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — magic
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — to drill

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