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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — the season

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