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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — a stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. trunk — of a car

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