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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fine — all right
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hand — help
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — a face
  24. prune — the fruit

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