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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — a break
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. race — a contest
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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