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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — to bear
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — in control
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — the cause
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — a price
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — of a word

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