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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cap — a lid
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — a cup
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — a division
  24. fan — a supporter

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