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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: deal · calf · mine · chest · mug · mate · saw · pass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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