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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. drill — a practice
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — hurry

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