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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. branch — a division
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mark — a trace
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — on the calendar

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