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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — electric
  19. season — of the year
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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