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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. object — a thing
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — an aim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — finally
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — music

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