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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: staff · row · mate · perch · game · face · bore · cue

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. staff — employees
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — a stick

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