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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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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cold — not warm
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — a face
  15. cold — an illness
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. squash — the sport
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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