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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — a song
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rule — a law
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mug — a face
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chair — a professorship

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