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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spring — the season
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to click
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — a cup
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spring — of water
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — in music
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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