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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mug — a face
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mug — to rob
  12. snap — to click
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — for pool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — in music
  24. row — a line

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