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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. row — a line
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — army training
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. drill — a practice

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