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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — bread
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — a short time

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