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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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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: bulb · rock · bowl · clip · chest · perch · lie · saw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — a box
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — music

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