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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — thin
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to bend
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — for spectators

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