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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mate — a friend
  17. kick — in football
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. can — a tin

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