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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — to play on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to confront
  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