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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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