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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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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 · cap · cue · perch · object · wind · rock · straw

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — a thing
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rock — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — dry grass
  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