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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — a match
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a hint
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — for pool
  21. toast — bread
  22. suit — to fit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wind — to turn a key

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