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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. bound — certain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hand — help
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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