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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cell — a phone
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — happening now
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — electric

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