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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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