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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — there
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to click
  23. cue — a signal
  24. perch — the fish

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