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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — a country
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a plant

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