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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cue — a signal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. root — the cause
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — to breed

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