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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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 — to breed
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — music
  11. land — ground
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fall — the season
  21. land — a country
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bowl — a football final
  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