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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — for dancing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — a group

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