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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pop — to visit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — help
  18. pop — soda
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — to cool the air

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