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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. content — the amount
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a grade

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