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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — to go on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — of water
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — boats
  13. bound — obliged
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — the season
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — the tool
  22. last — final
  23. bound — certain
  24. spring — a coil

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