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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spell — letters

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