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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. toast — bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rush — hurry

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