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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chair — a leader
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mark — a grade
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — to sit on

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