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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.

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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — a permit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a ring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. clip — for paper
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — a part of something

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