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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — all right
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. season — to add flavour

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