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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. staff — a stick
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rule — a law
  10. mug — a face
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — government
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. staff — employees

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