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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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — a permit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — in biology

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