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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lean — thin
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — for sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. field — farmland
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — to bend
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cue — a signal
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — to keep secret

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