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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — finally
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — to go on

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