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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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