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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. content — the amount
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — happy
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — videos and posts

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