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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. snap — to click
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rash — hasty
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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