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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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