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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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