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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. clip — a video
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — an aim
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — to protest

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