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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mouse — for a computer

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