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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — clever
  13. staff — employees
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — side of the head

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