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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — to come down
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — ground
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rule — a law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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