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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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