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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — obliged
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — there
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — a gift
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — a break
  22. rash — hasty
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitcher — a jug

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