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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: mate · foot · deal · object · wake · fan · clip · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — an aim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — a thing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wake — a trail
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — to protest
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — a measure

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