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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cell — a phone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — bread
  16. mate — a friend
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kick — in football
  24. bass — the instrument

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