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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. dip — to sink

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