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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: jam · lie · row · cabinet · mug · perch · mate · cap

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a line
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — to paddle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — to recline
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cap — a hat

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