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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bass — low music

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