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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a great time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a dance
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. shower — rain
  15. rash — a series
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mate — a friend

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