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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — of a word
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spell — letters
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. arm — part of the body

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