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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — a video
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — the fish
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — the vegetable

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