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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.

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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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