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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chest — a box
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. roll — a cake

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