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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — to eat
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a flat piece

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