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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mate — to breed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — a video
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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