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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — a price
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — a phone
  24. charge — electricity

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