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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. present — there
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — to breed
  22. face — part of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — for a bird

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