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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. field — a subject
  10. band — a ring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — a grade
  22. suit — to fit
  23. band — a music group
  24. field — for sport

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