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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. track — a song
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — for weighing

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