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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — 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