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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bark — to shout
  16. last — to go on
  17. tear — to rip
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. last — finally
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — final
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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