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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — to bend
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — to handle
  13. snap — to click
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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