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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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 partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. stock — goods
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kick — a thrill
  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