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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — clothes
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rock — a stone

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