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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — the tool

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