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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. season — of the year
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — to come down
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — a signal

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