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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — there
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. racket — for tennis

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