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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
468
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: mate · row · fine · march · last · bear · bore · perch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. mate — a partner
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — to go on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — finally
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — high quality
  24. perch — for a bird

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