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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. wind — to turn a key
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. dip — to dunk

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