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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. date — the fruit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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