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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ground — crushed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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