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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.

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — in music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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