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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — a gift
  5. bark — to shout
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — ground

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