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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — low music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — exactly

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