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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — bread
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hand — help
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — clothes

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