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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. shower — to wash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bowl — a dish

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