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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cold — an illness
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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