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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pit — a hole
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. content — the amount
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. content — happy
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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