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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — to pay attention

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