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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — help
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — the fruit

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