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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: saw · pit · tube · sharp · mine · bear · mate · bay

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  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