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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. staff — a stick
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — a safe
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — in sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — to bear
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — after costs

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