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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.

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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a committee
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rule — a law
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — government
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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