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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ruler — a monarch

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