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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — to shout
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — of the sea

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