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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mate — a friend

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