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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to click
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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