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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — a tin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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