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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — a skill
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — boats

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