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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — in sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — thin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — humankind
  16. bore — to drill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — to rest against

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