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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. can — a tin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cell — in biology
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — to crush

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