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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — a series
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — certain
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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