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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cell — in biology
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — in sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — after costs
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. object — to protest
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. object — a thing
  19. mate — to breed
  20. band — a ring
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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