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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chest — of your body
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — a box
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. root — of a word
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — to breed
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — the cause

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