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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. suit — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — to confront
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mate — a partner
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kick — in football
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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