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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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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pop — soda
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — a box
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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