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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 116 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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. squash — to crush
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — the fish
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of a king

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