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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — finally
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — a tin
  7. last — final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. root — of a word
  14. last — to go on
  15. cell — in biology
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — the cause
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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