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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — an aim
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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