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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — all right
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cold — an illness
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — certain
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bowl — to roll
  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