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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. perch — the fish
  8. clip — a video
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. dip — to sink
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — with a leg

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