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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — all right
  14. cell — a phone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — for a computer

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