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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — in control
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pound — for dogs

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