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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a face
  8. mate — a partner
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — to push
  23. rest — a break
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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