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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — to push
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — of the sea

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