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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — a partner
  6. perch — the fish
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — there
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. wax — in the ear

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