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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — the month
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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