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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 · object · file · present · wind · mate · suit · cue

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a tool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a document
  5. present — there
  6. cue — a hint
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — the time now
  14. object — to protest
  15. cue — for pool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — a signal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. suit — in cards

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