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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.

Make a worksheet

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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. toast — bread
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — a division

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