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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — a division
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — of water

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