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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rock — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — a partner

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