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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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