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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. perch — the fish
  4. march — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — the animal

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