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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — steady
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. perch — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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