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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. board — a committee
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — in football
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. roll — a cake

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