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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. object — an aim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pop — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kid — child
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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