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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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