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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a document
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — a container
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — a break
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — a partner
  24. deal — to handle

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