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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kick — in football
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — a hole
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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