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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — certain
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — a partner
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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