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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: perch · bound · mate · kid · lash · mouse · pop · mark

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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