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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chest — a box
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — a face
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chest — of your 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