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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kick — in football
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — help
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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