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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — a division
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — a path

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