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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fall — to drop
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — to come down
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fall — the season
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — hurry
  21. roll — a list
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — to drop

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