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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. foot — part of the body

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