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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a face
  4. spring — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. spring — a coil
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — a cup
  24. row — a line

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