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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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