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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. content — the amount
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — a straw man

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