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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: sharp · bowl · kick · perch · fan · hand · pop · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — to roll

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