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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fork — in a road
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — a trail
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a song
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a face
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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