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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — out of danger

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