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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ground — a position

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