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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spring — a coil
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — the earth
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — a line
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — a break

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