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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. drill — army training
  3. mate — a partner
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — a trail
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — the animal

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