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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. perch — the fish
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. roll — a list
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — the season
  24. tube — in a tire

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