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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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