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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lean — thin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chair — a leader
  24. date — on the calendar

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