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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mouse — the animal

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