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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. present — a gift
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. present — there
  5. game — a match
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — government
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — the time now
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ruler — for measuring

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