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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. squash — to crush
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — a partner
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — of the year
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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