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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · cell · tear · bass · mate · bulb · kick · nail

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a friend

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