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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. chest — a box
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — a thing
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. object — an aim

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