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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a dance
  9. last — to go on
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. drill — army training
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a committee
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — finally
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — final
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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