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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — to get on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — ministers

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