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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — the fish
  6. land — to come down
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wind — moving air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. row — to paddle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. land — a country

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