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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. last — final
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — to go on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — a partner
  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