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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. firm — decided
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bound — tied together
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — in control
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. charge — electricity

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