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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.

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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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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — the most important part
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. march — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — to be able to

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