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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cold — an illness
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — a price
  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