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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. current — electric
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — a partner
  13. current — of water
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mate — a friend
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — crushed
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — to go away

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