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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kick — in football
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. saw — the tool

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