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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · fork · lie · mine · roll · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — on a roll

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