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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kid — child
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — part of the head
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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