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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — a practice
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lean — thin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. content — the amount
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. drill — army training

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