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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a cake
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. roll — a list
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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