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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. branch — a division
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the 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