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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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