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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. last — final
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — the underground
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — to go on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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