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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a face
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — a trail
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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