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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  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