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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spring — a coil
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — of water
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spring — the season
  14. drill — army training
  15. perch — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. kick — a thrill

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