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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — a hat
  10. squash — to crush
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — an untruth

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