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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rush — hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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