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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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