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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. last — final
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. straw — a straw man

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