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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — certain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. root — the cause
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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