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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wound — an injury

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