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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. tear — from crying
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. tear — to rip
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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