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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — to breed

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