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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — electricity
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — in control
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — to drop

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