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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — to visit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tube — a container
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — a division
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pop — soda

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