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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: coach · row · pitcher · lean · perch · mate · wake · bulb

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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