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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fall — the season
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fine — a penalty

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