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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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