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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to bend
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — soda
  11. chest — a box
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the fish
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — decided
  24. chest — of your body

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