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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. face — to confront
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — magic
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — a trail
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — a price

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