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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — in geometry

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