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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — the fish
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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