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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. toast — bread
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mate — a partner

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