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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. date — the fruit
  6. court — for sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — electric
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — a stone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of a king
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — from crying

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