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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. present — the time now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — a gift
  8. rule — a law
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — a group
  14. present — there
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. club — for dancing
  24. season — in sport

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