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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a ring
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. perch — the fish
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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