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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. degree — an amount
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. degree — from a university

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