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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. deal — to handle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. scale — size or range

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