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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bore — to tire
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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