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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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468
Word bank
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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — a price
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. charge — in control
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. charge — electricity

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