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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — the fish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lie — to recline
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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