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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. toast — bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cap — a lid

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