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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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