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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — the time now
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. root — of a word
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. present — a gift
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mate — to breed

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