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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mate — a partner
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  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