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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · straw · wake · mate · mouse · plane · pitch · bore

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — a partner
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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