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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — government
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. rule — a law
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — ground
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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