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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — the season
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — in control
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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