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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — ground
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. mug — a face
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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