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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. court — of law
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a line
  13. firm — a company
  14. row — to paddle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a trace
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — an aim

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