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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — the fish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — happening now
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. current — of water

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