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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tube — the underground
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — belonging to me

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