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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lean — thin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. arm — a part of something

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