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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — thin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. lean — to bend
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. file — a line of people
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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