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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. march — the month
  16. club — a group
  17. march — the month
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. club — for golf
  21. march — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — boats

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