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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mate — a friend
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — a lid
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mark — to pay attention

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