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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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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — the fish

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