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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. drill — a practice
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — army training

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