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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — completely
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — all right
  24. lie — an untruth

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