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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — the fish
  13. court — for sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — in cards
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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