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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — to breed

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