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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — for catching
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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