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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kick — in football
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — there
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fork — in a road

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