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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. land — a country
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — a face
  12. cue — for pool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — to rob
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cue — a hint
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — for a bird

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