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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — a contest
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — of ice
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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