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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a signal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. season — of the year
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. object — an aim
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — a hint
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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