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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — a position
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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