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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — a friend
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a face
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — to come down
  24. wind — moving air

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