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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ground — a position
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tube — a container
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — the earth
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — to breed

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