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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — a company
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. foot — a measure
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wake — a trail
  14. roll — a cake
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — steady
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. net — after costs
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — a partner

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