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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — there
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. perch — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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