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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — a gift
  7. rock — music
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. game — a match
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. game — a kind of play

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