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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.

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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bound — certain
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a leader
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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