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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.

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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spell — letters
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — a short time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — magic
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — the fish
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. snap — to click

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