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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in biology
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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