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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chest — of your body
  7. land — to come down
  8. press — a publisher
  9. charge — in control
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. land — ground
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — newspapers
  18. clip — a video
  19. press — to push
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — a price

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