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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · stick · board · spell · perch · saw · cap · game

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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