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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — rain
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. shower — to wash
  14. band — a music group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — a match

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