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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — a thing
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — to keep track
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. foot — a measure

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