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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. squash — the sport
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — of water
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — the tool

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