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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 120 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 · staff · cell · ball · shower · rock · mine · perch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — to breed
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — a phone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mate — a partner

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