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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — the fish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bass — low music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bass — the instrument

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