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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. last — finally
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bulb — for light
  17. last — final
  18. cold — an illness
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rock — music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — to go on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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