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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lie — to recline
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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