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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — a short time
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — dry grass

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