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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — money
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — dry grass

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