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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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. chest — of your body
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chest — a box
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. racket — a loud noise

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