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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rule — government
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a partner

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