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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — a break
  20. dip — to sink
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. dip — to dunk

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