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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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Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — the cause
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. trunk — of a car

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