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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. mark — a grade
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — a trace
  16. craft — a skill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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