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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — shares
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — the fish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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