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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — a phone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. hand — help
  10. shower — rain
  11. spell — letters
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spell — magic
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — to rob
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — a face
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spell — a short time

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