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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a friend
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — belonging to me

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