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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — there
  4. pit — a hole
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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