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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. content — the amount
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. land — to come down
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — a country
  22. roll — a list
  23. snap — to click
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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