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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — the time now
  4. roll — a cake
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — a measure
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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