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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — a grade

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