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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — a song
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spell — a short time
  11. firm — decided
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — a cup
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. mark — a trace
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mark — to pay attention

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