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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. row — a line
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — for betting
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. deal — an agreement

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