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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — a price
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — on a finger

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