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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — a gift
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wake — before a funeral

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