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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rash — hasty
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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