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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 124 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — a law
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — to rule out

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