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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — in an idiom

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