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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.

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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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