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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — a break
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spell — magic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — for a bird

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