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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a document
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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