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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: cabinet · mate · staff · rock · march · perch · fine · rash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — a stick
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — employees

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