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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — a city
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. capital — a big letter

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