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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: coach · perch · wake · mouse · wind · nail · stick · mate

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — a partner

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