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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. shower — rain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — to paddle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — a leader

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