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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bear — to put up with

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