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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — in sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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