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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — boats
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — low music
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — of the year
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a face
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — part of the body

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