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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — the fish
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. object — to protest
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — a thing
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. shower — to wash

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