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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — there
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. present — the time now
  9. mate — a friend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a list
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — a gift
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. roll — on a roll

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