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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — electric
  7. mate — a partner
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pop — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — in a race

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