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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — bread
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — the fish
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — a video
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — there
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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