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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — of water

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