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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — a break
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — a container
  10. last — finally
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to click
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — final
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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