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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mug — a cup
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — all right
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — a face

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