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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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