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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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