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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — to crush
  5. object — a thing
  6. fine — all right
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — a series
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. season — of the year

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