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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — a series
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — in sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. last — finally
  11. net — after costs
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — to go on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — to breed
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — of a tree

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