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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. toast — bread
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mate — a partner
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — to breed
  24. suit — clothes

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