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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a great time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — thin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — a penalty

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