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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — a friend
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — letters
  8. land — ground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mate — a partner
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — magic

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