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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mate — to breed
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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