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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hand — help
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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