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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spring — of water
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — a container
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — help
  24. perch — for a bird

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