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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hand — help
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — to fit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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