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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. mate — a friend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. land — a country
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. land — to come down
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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