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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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