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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — magic
  14. mate — to breed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — for a computer

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