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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mug — a face
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. perch — the fish

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