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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — the season
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — in sport

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