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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — army training
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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