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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — a trail
  4. suit — clothes
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cell — a phone
  24. roll — a list

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