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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — crushed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a line of people
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a face
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ground — the earth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — a position
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rest — what's left

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