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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. object — to protest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — a thing
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — a face
  24. bank — of a river

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