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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lean — thin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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