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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. clip — a video
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — to sit on

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