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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. can — to be able to
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — a partner
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — to breed
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — ground
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mate — a friend
  18. land — a country
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — a face

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