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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — a partner
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — a phone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — letters

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