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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lean — thin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. board — to get on
  14. file — a tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — to bend
  24. board — a flat piece

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