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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. roll — a list
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. roll — on a 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