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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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