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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. season — in sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — an aim
  15. present — there
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. season — of the year
  24. chest — a box

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