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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a music group
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a ring
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — in cards

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