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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry

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