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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bass — low music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — an aim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — to protest
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. scale — in music
  24. arm — a part of something

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