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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — a price
  20. mate — a friend
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of a tree

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