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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — a position
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. ground — crushed

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