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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: wound · roll · mate · saw · squash · perch · can · stick

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — the sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a list

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