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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — a list
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a cake
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a lid

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