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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — soda
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — a box

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