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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. last — final
  16. pop — soda
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. last — to go on
  24. fan — a supporter

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