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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rest — what's left

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