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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — letters
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — magic
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a skill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — a short time
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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