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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. squash — to crush
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — for catching
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — obliged
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. net — in sport

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