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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — army training
  19. fork — in a road
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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