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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — to confront
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — part of the head

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