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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — there
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — to shout
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. shower — to wash
  13. perch — the fish
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — a gift
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. shower — rain
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mate — to breed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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