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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — the amount
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — happy
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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