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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. present — a gift
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — for golf
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. present — there
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. perch — the fish

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