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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: present · mate · chip · mouse · perch · trunk · wound · row

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. row — a line
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chip — in a computer

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