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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cap — a hat
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — in control
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — a price
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — electricity
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a partner

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