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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — the season
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rush — hurry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — a list
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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