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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — for a bird

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