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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. lean — to bend
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. field — for sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — hurry
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — a position
  17. last — final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a face
  24. perch — for a bird

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