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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wake — a trail
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a great time
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — clothes
  20. roll — a list
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — to breed

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