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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. clip — a video
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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