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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. wind — to turn a key

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