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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — of a tree

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