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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — to shout
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mark — a trace
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hide — animal skin

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