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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — a partner
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — a trail
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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