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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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