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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. rush — 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