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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — thin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pound — for dogs

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