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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. last — finally
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a lid
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — to go on
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — a hat
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — in sport

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