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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a face
  4. clip — to cut
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — the fish
  9. drill — the tool
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a leader
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — army training
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. squash — to crush
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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