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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a partner
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — a thing
  8. snap — to click
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. roll — a cake
  12. object — to protest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — to breed
  20. roll — a list
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — on a roll

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