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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — a song
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — the earth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ground — crushed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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