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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: bear · pass · object · clip · mouse · mate · perch · stand

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — a video
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. object — a thing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — to protest
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — the fish

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