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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — a match
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. land — ground
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — an amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. land — a country
  12. game — wild animals
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — a trail
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — to come down
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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