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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wax — to grow
  9. object — an aim
  10. craft — a skill
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mate — a friend
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. object — a thing
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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