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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — a permit
  19. band — a music group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — on the skin

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