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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. clip — a video
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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