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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — rain
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. object — to protest
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wake — before a funeral

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