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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
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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 · key · rash · bowl · can · perch · hide · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — hasty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — a tin

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