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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cold — an illness
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. key — in music

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