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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — for sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — in cards
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mate — a partner
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — the underground

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