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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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