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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — to breed
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. perch — the fish
  23. suit — clothes
  24. game — a match

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