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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — there
  6. board — to get on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — goods
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — a gift
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — shares
  24. kick — with a leg

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