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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lie — to recline
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — a price
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — in football
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — in control
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — the fish

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