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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. last — finally
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. last — final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — in music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cold — an illness
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — the fish

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