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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mate — to breed
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. club — a group
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rock — a stone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — boats

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