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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · spell · lean · bulb · stick · cell · pass · mouse

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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