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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a hole
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pit — in a race
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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