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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hand — help
  13. craft — boats
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. swing — in golf

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