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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cold — not warm
  13. season — of the year
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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