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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — a tight spot

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