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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — to shout
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — of a plant

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