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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. plane — a tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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