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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — after costs
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. net — for catching
  21. clip — a video
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mine — for digging

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