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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. track — a song
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — a path
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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