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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a hint
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — completely
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — of a bank

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