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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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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: nail · mate · kick · squash · bound · fork · perch · leaves

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mate — to breed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — the sport

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