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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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