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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. court — for sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of law
  10. tear — to rip
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rest — a break
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to dunk

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