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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together

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