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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. perch — the fish
  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