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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: mate · plane · cold · present · bowl · bear · wound · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. present — there
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. present — the time now
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mate — to breed

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