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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — for catching
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — in football
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — to cut
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — a measure
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. clip — a video
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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