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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. safe — out of danger

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