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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a face
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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