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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cell — a phone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cell — in biology
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — of a plant

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