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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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