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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. roll — a list
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rule — government
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rule — to rule out
  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