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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. file — a document
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mate — to breed
  20. season — of the year
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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