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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — to be able to
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — to breed
  21. staff — a stick
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — the underground

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