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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — low music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bass — the fish
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to click

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