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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
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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: wake · object · capital · bulb · board · perch · wound · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a city
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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