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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cold — an illness
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — army training
  24. calf — a young animal

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