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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bound — tied together
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — a break
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. suit — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. deal — a big deal

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