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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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468
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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — the season
  8. fine — high quality
  9. object — a thing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — the fish
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. season — in sport

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