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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. mug — a cup
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mug — a face
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cold — not warm
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — a container
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. object — an aim
  17. perch — the fish
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — to rob
  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