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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. drill — a practice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — the tool

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