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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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Word bank
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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: chip · tube · bound · squash · perch · toast · face · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — to eat
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mate — a partner
  14. squash — the sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. bound — certain

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