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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kick — in football
  10. chair — a leader
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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