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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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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 · pit · object · cabinet · drill · rest · perch · leaves

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — a practice
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — to protest
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — a partner
  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