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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. land — a country
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — for a bird

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