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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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