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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — a friend

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