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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — government
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — to dunk

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