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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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