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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — to paddle
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. squash — to crush
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — a hat

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