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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · leaves · bowl · dip · perch · season · cabinet · arm

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. track — a path
  24. bowl — a football final

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