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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — thin
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rock — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. game — a kind of play

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