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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rule — government
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — soda

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