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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — for paper
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. face — to confront
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — a video
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. staff — employees
  24. clip — to cut

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