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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — a container
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — of a plant

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