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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — to go on
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — part of the head
  14. last — final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to confront

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