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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — size or range

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