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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — a signal
  10. shower — rain
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — letters
  21. mate — a partner
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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