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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 120 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
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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 · rush · track · perch · capital · bear · fan · hide

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — the fish
  14. capital — a city
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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