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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a face
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — a cup
  14. tube — a container
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — in football
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — with a leg

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