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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — in cards
  24. perch — the fish

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