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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. dip — to sink
  5. court — for sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — of law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — a cup
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of a king
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — 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