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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. toast — bread

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